Fuller celebrates best-ever day

24 May 2009 02:05

Simeon Jackson struck just as the clock ticked to the 90-minute mark on Saturday to send the Gills back into League One just a year after being relegated.
Fuller, born in Ashford, was in the crowd when the Gills won against Wigan at Wembley nine years ago and the right-back was delighted to have helped his local club come good in the 1-0 win over the Shrews.
The 24-year-old is one of five players to have followed Mark Stimson from Stevenage to Priestfield and was a Wembley winner with his old club in the FA Trophy, but he insists that is nothing compared to the feeling he had leading his side up the steps to collect the play-off winners' trophy.
"What more do you want as a man, or a footballer, to pick a trophy up at Wembley?" he said.
"I've been here before but it doesn't even touch that. This means a lot, we're going up another league and this easily is the best day of my life.
"I've lived in Kent all my life and to be a local boy and to lead your local club at Wembley and to be a winning captain there. I'm speechless to be honest."
Fuller began his career as a trainee at Charlton but failed to make a first-team breakthrough at the Valley, and he moved to Barnet before linking up with Stimson at Stevenage.
But now he will get the chance to play in a first-team game at the Valley next season when his current employers take on the Addicks, who have been relegated from the Championship.
He added: "That's a massive club as well. I wasn't lucky enough to break through there but I believed in my ability to bounce back and that's what you've got to do.
"If you're let go by a club you've just got to bounce back. I had to work hard, I had to drop out of the league to get back into the game and I worked hard there and I was lucky enough that the manager brought me here and it's been an unbelievable year for me."
Shrewsbury, who had beaten the Gills 7-0 back in September, are now planning for another season in League Two after their loss, and manager Paul Simpson admits they will have to do it without goalkeeper Luke Daniels.
The 21-year-old kept his side in the game at the break with two fine saves but could do nothing about Jackson's late headed winner, and he will now return to parent club West Brom after his successful loan spell with the Shrews.
Simpson said: "In the first-half Luke made two absolutely world class saves and we needed him because we didn't start the game properly.
"He now goes back to West Brom. They think a hell of a lot of him, as we do, and we'll see what the future holds for him.
"He has benefited from his time here and we can hopefully get some more players in next year. West Brom realise this is a good environment for players."